Worcester aim to settle score

Durham took only two days to beat Worcestershire on an unpredictable pitch at the Riverside last month - but a different story may unfold from today, in a return fixture that is expected to last the full four days at New Road.

Durham took only two days to beat Worcestershire on an unpredictable pitch at the Riverside last month - but a different story may unfold from today, in a return fixture that is expected to last the full four days at New Road.

The much-changed makeup of the two teams since that first meeting makes this battle of Worcestershire, Division Two hopefuls, against the leaders look even less easy to predict.

Durham's Australian skipper Mike Hussey and their main strike bowler, England's Steve Harmison, have disappeared on international duty.

That gives Championship debuts to New Zealand's Nathan Astle and winter signing Ashley Noffke, the Australian pace bowler, who makes a delayed first appearance after injury.

That is nothing like the state of transition affecting a Worcestershire side having to get used to a mid-season change of management, however.

Gareth Batty is back in Durham preparing to line up on Friday alongside Harmison. Although he is then set for next week's Championship match at Bath, Worcestershire would appear resigned to losing two more of their key players on England duty. Skipper Vikram Solanki and Kabir Ali were yesterday named in the oneday international squad which is due to be in action until July 12.

Ray Price comes in for Batty to make his first Championship start this summer as Worcestershire, who beat Essex at Chelmsford on their previous Championship outing nine days ago, bring in 18-year-old Bromsgrove-born Steven Davies for his debut in place of Stephen Peters.

Worcestershire, who have been keen to give Davies his head for some time, have been handed the chance by the sorry run of form that Peters has suffered in the last year.

After scoring two centuries against Kent at New Road almost exactly 12 months ago, followed by another two matches later against Surrey, Peters has scored only two half-centuries in 23 Championship innings.

Coach-in-waiting Steve Rhodes is quick to stress that the sidelining of Peters should only be temporary, saying: "Sometimes players can get out even when they're feeling in good nick. Steven just had one of those runs where nothing goes right for him, but he's a determined character who I know will try hard to go off and put things right in the nets.

"We don't want to put too much pressure on him but this is also a great opportunity for Steven Davies and it's perhaps all the more pleasing that we're giving a debut to one of our own.

"Its great to see a Kidderminster boy, who has come up through the system, getting in the team. He's played for Worcestershire Schools, then our Academy and he's already represented and captained his country as a Worcestershireshire player at junior level."

Rhodes is also looking to his team to put things right over the longer distance after three limited-over defeats in a row. He said: "It's important not to get too down-hearted about our one-day form.

"We've won our last two in the four-day stuff and we've now got three more championship matches coming up before we have to address the one-day situation again."